Running
by MacLover722
Summary: While out for a run, Mac stumbles into a mystery that'll require him to step into a role he's never taken before. Help needs to be given and he's not about to walk away from a soul in need. Will he be able to figure out what's going on in time to prevent a tragedy? He'll definitely need the help of his friends on this one, for this might be his most important mission yet...
1. Running

**Hello my dear readers! Welcome to a new story! I got the idea of this as I was thinking of a plot for a new one shot on my other fanfic "Collection of One Shots" but the more I thought about this idea that literally struck me today while I was on the beach, the more complicated it got and I knew I couldn't make it a one shot, so I decided to write a multichapter. I didn't include it on the one shots like "Vacation Time" because at least there I had a rough idea of having a maximum of 5 chapters. Here though, I have absolutely no idea where this might go.**

 **Don't worry, I'll keep updating "Collection of One Shots", I just haven't found the right plot to develop on the next one, so, prompts are welcomed for that too!**

 **Now, as I said before, I have no idea where this might be going since I only have the main plot figured out, but not exactly how I'll develop the story. I'll let my imagination take its cue from your reviews and thoughts, so don't forget to review!**

 **Now… on with the show!**

 **CHAPTER 1: Running**

It was almost 11:00 p.m. and Mac was still running.

He hadn't had the chance to go out running in a while, what with all the missions they'd had to do recently, and he certainly missed the exercise and the time alone.

Mac loved running. It was one of his favorite activities to let out some steam whenever the stress of everyday life or his job got to be too much, but it was also a time he enjoyed because it seemed like whenever he went running, his mind just shut off for a while. It was the only time his brain just stopped thinking and he found that he needed the quiet it offered from time to time, not even being able to do so when he was asleep. Right now, the only thing his brain was focused on was the road ahead of him and putting one foot in front of the other. Using the slight burn of his muscles as fuel to forget about everything else and just keep running.

After another half hour of running, he finally decided to slow down and start making his way back, since he had already run a pretty good distance; just as it was, he was going to be arriving home way past midnight. He still kept a light pace as he made his way back, thinking that maybe he had overdone it a little bit but not finding it in himself to actually care, because the peace and quiet of the run had been totally worth it.

He had just turned around the corner that would guide him to his house further down the road when a small weight suddenly slammed into him from the left. He stumbled but was able to regain his balance before falling to the floor, which is where he was looking now because the person that had ran into him hadn't been as lucky and had ended up sprawled on the sidewalk.

"Hey, you okay?" Mac asked, bending down to check that the person on the floor was indeed okay and taken aback because the image that greeted him under the dim glow of the street lights was one of a child, no older than 8 or 9, wiping tears from his eyes and trying to hide his sniffling. When the kid looked up at Mac, fresh tears started to pool in his eyes and the look of utter despair in the kid's face made something deep inside Mac stir. The kid's cheeks were flushed, his eyes big as sausages and swelled from crying. His lips trembled with the effort.

When he got no reply from the boy, Mac tried again, bending down and resting on his hills to get into a leveled position in front of him.

"Are you okay? Did you hurt when you fell?" he asked. Maybe the kid was crying because the fall had injured him. Mac wasn't exactly a big guy, but for a kid that small, he must have felt like running into a wall. But the kid shook his head no "Okay. Need help getting up?" the kid eyed his offered hand suspiciously and then reluctantly took it. Mac got back on his feet and pulled the kid with him into a standing position.

The kid wiped at his eyes but remained looking at the ground. Mac stared at him for a second, trying to figure out the best way to approach the situation. After all, it wasn't every day that you ran into a crying boy in the middle of the night, alone in the streets

"Where are your parents? Are you alone here?" the boy stilled and suddenly took a step back, as if he was afraid of Mac. The older man frowned "what's your name?" he kept asking, waiting to see if the kid would answer any of his questions. It struck him as odd to find a kid alone at night, no parents in sight. Had he been running from something? Was he in danger? Seeing as the kid was kind of frozen in place, with a scared look on his face, Mac crouched down again and offered information about himself first "My name is Mac. I live just down the road" he said, studying the kid's reaction carefully. At his introduction, the kid looked up at him for the first time and then answered with a wavering small voice.

"My teacher says I'm not supposed to talk with strangers" and really, how do you argue with something like that?

" And that's probably really smart" Mac smiled, happy that at least the kid had talked to him "but, you know, running alone on the streets at this hour is also dangerous" he added, trying to get to the reason why the kid was alone so late at night.

"You were running alone too" _touché_ , Mac thought with a smile. The kid was talking with a small voice, almost as if he was really afraid to be talking to Mac, but he had some wits about him, which was good for a boy his age.

"True. But I'm not a kid. Do you live nearby? Where are your parents? If you're lost, I can take you to them" Mac offered, not ready to just walk out on a scared kid in the middle of the night.

The reaction Mac had been hoping for was not the reaction he got, for the kid's eyes got bigger than they already were and his breathing started to increase in rate. The kid took a few steps back and was getting ready to run away from him, so Mac extended his arm, intent on stopping him, but before he knew what hit him, the boy turned around fast like a lightning bolt and sent a kick towards him, right between his legs.

Mac yelped and lost his balance, falling to the floor and clutching his groin in pain. Thankfully the fall wasn't hard, since he had been crouching and close to the floor already, but the kid had a strong kick. Mac was left gasping on the ground as the kid turned and bolted from his sights.

"Hey!" he watched him run and slip past the two houses nearest to the corner, and Mac painfully got up and started running after him. He reached the space between the houses and slipped through, finding the opening and then standing on the street running parallel to his own. The kid was nowhere in sight.

Mac walked slowly down the streets, trying to find the running kid or at least some evidence of where he might have gone. He found none.

There wasn't much more he could do and Mac knew that, but he still walked back to his own house somewhat reluctantly. What if the kid had been running from something dangerous? What if by not following him, he let something bad happen to him? The kid certainly looked like he could take care of himself, as much as eight-year old's could. He knew not to talk with strangers and he really had a mean kick, if the lingering pain on his private parts was anything to go by; but he was still a little boy and the look on his face when he looked into Mac's eyes for the first time had been so... Devastating.

It... It had almost reminded him of when he used to run away from his house after his mother had died to go hide from the world. He used to cry a lot then. Maybe that's what had stirred within him at seeing the crying boy. Maybe he had just reminded him of himself. Could it be that the kid had been running away from home? Maybe he had just lost one of his parents too, Mac thought sadly.

Eventually he found his way home and into the living room of his house, making sure to keep his steps light because he didn't want to wake Bozer up. Blessed Bozer that had left a plate of dinner on the table ready for him for whenever he decided to come back from his run. It wasn't the first time Mac got carried away and come back way past both their regular bedtime hour, so Bozer knew better than to wait for him awake.

He took the plate, two bottles of water from the fridge and went to his room, downing one of the water bottles on his way in, only then realizing how thirsty he had been. He showered and changed quickly before taking his dinner to bed and enjoying Bozer's signature chicken sandwich. It was never lost on Mac how every dish Bozer made ended up being a signature one, he was just that good of a cook.

While he ate, his thoughts went back to the running boy.

Who was that kid? Mac had never seen him around the neighborhood before. Or maybe he had but just couldn't place him. There were actually a lot of kids in his street and the surrounding ones. This was a very familiar neighborhood because its big houses and even bigger back or front yards made for the perfect place to raise a family, so maybe Mac _had_ seen the kid around before and he just couldn't pinpoint him from all the rest.

But the question that had burned itself in his mind and didn't really let him get a lot of sleep that night was: what could have possibly happen to the boy that had him crying and running away like that? And... What would happen to him now?

Mac felt bad at not having done anything to help him, but what could he have done? Even if the kid hadn't slipped away from him by kicking him so harshly, what was he supposed to do? Hold on to him and make him tell him what was going on? The kid had seemed afraid enough to be talking with a stranger as it was. Take him to the police? Surely that would've been the smartest choice, but now there was nothing he could do. He could only hope the kid had found his way home and that whatever had been tormenting him wasn't so bad that it would send him running alone on the streets again.

Mac sighed and turned on his side, sleep finally claiming him. At least he would get a few hours of sleep before sunrise. He had to work and go to the office tomorrow and he didn't want two giant bags under his eyes to get everyone around him concerned about him not getting enough sleep or having nightmares or something.

He'd been having a pretty good time lately and no nightmares had plagued his dreams in weeks now. That didn't mean his friends, specially Jack, wouldn't be onto him the minute it seemed like he hadn't gotten a full night's sleep. Jack was overprotective like that, and a total mother hen too. Mac always made sure to complain and make retorts about it, although secretly he appreciated it deeply. It was just the way they rolled, denying and making jokes in public about the deep connection between them, but also reassuring their friendship, which was more like a brotherhood, with every action they made.

Finally, with another sigh and a yawn, Mac finally fell asleep.

A few houses down the road behind his house, a little 9-year-old boy cried himself to sleep, dreading the start of another day and hating himself for getting too scared and not being able to finally run away.

 **…**

 **And that was the first chapter. Did you enjoy it? Please let me know what you thought of it, reviews make me the happiest person in the world and they make me want to keep writing!**

 **See you on the next chapter!**


	2. Picture Perfect

**Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed! I hope you've gotten hooked to the story, because more is on the way! This chapter was really special for me to write, and I hope you enjoy it. I'll be dying to know what you think of it, so feel free to leave a review!**

 **CHAPTER 2: Picture Perfect**

"Come on Ethan, time for school" his father called from the door before disappearing down the hall. Ethan stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up fully. He was too tired for that.

"Five more minutes dad" he asked and then settled into a semi slumber, with the sheets half hanging from the bed.

Last night had been weird and he had never stayed up so late at night, which is why he was finding it difficult to just wake up and start the day. He was an energetic boy and he usually didn't have any problem with getting up early at all; after all, he liked school. Today was different though; today he wished he could stay in bed all day.

He could still feel his eyelids were heavy, more from crying that from sleep, and his limbs were tired, as if he had spent way too many hours playing at the park with his friends. So yes, he wanted to keep sleeping. In fact, he had almost fallen back asleep and-

"Ethan!" the scream at his door startled him "you're gonna miss the bus and then I'll have to drive you. Get up!" the boy sprang up from the bed, he didn't want to bother his father with having to drive him to school "I pulled out your clothes. Come on, get dressed fast" his dad instructed and then left the room again, probably to go finish breakfast.

Ethan went then to the bathroom to relieve himself and freshen up. Once he was dressed and ready to go, he picked up his backpack from his desk and headed to the kitchen where his father had just put a paper bag on the counter.

He put it inside his bag.

"Let's go, I'll walk you to the bus stop" his father said, and together they left the house.

They made their way following the same path he had taken last night when he had tried to run away. It was the way he knew better, having walked to the bus every day to go to school, so it was only logical that his 9-year-old brain had chosen to follow a trail he had been familiar with. Where he had expected to go after reaching the bus stop? He had no idea.

When they walked through the street where the blond man had run into him, Ethan glanced sideways, afraid he might see him there, waiting to tell his father what he had done. If it hadn't been for that man, Ethan wouldn't had gotten scared last night and wouldn't have come back home! He thought bitterly, and, childishly, he wished for the tall man to appear in front of him just so he could kick him again. Who did he thought he was, scaring him like that? But what angered him the most was knowing that maybe he wouldn't be brave enough to try and run a second time. It had taken him hours to come up with the impromptu decision but running into that man had made him fear the streets too much. He was little, and the world was just too big.

After walking for a few more minutes, they reached the bus stop where other kids were waiting in line to get in, greeting the cheerful driver on their way up. He saw his father waving politely to some of the parents they encountered every day and, with his hand held firmly by him, they got to the end of the line.

When it was time for Ethan to climb the big steps and get into the bus, his father put his hand on his shoulder.

"Have a good day" he said and Ethan smiled.

"You too daddy" and then they parted ways.

He sat down, feeling a timid smile making its way to the surface. Today had been a good morning. Maybe his decision to run away had been too sudden, maybe things would stay good after this morning.

By the time the bus arrived at school, a teacher made sure to accompany all the little kids to their designated playground to wait for the bell that signaled the start of the day. Ethan was feeling happy now, optimistic, and all thoughts of his late night turmoil had been pushed to the back of his mind. Maybe running into that man had been a good thing because, if he hadn't gone back home, he wouldn't have had the morning he just did.

Ethan liked school. His teacher, Miss. Laura, was really pretty and always smiling, she also let them play a lot inside their classroom. He had lots of friends that he liked to play hide and seek with at the playground. And, of course, there was Jimmy, his best friend in the whole world. They had known each other since kinder garden and Jimmy's mom had invited Ethan over to their house to play a lot of times. They always shared their lunches and, together, they were collecting stickers for the Ninja Turtles album; it was almost complete now.

The day in school went by as every other day: coloring, learning new words, PE, lunch, more words... And sooner rather than later, Ethan was back on the bus and on his way home. For a moment there, he was actually exited to be going back home. If the afternoon was anything like the morning had been, then he had nothing to worry about. He said goodbye to Mr. Finn, the bus driver, and jumped the steps down to the floor. His father wasn't waiting for him like other parents or grandparents were waiting for the other kids, but that was okay, Ethan was used to walking home alone from the bus to his house because his father worked too much in the afternoon and didn't have time to go pick him up. He understood that his work was important so he didn't mind. Actually, that's why he knew the way to a from his house to the bus so well, because he'd had to learn it by heart in order to not get lost.

He opened the front door and went straight to the bathroom, he had been needing to for a while now, and then made his way into the kitchen to grab a snack. Later, with a few cookies in hand, he found his father in the living room with the TV turned on and his laptop resting on his legs, a look of concentration on his face. Ethan's dad didn't go out every day for work like other dads did, he worked from home and he rarely spent more than an hour or two away from the house. He had explained Ethan that he needed to be beside his laptop almost 24/7 because information flies these days, whatever that meant, and his job required him to be available and logged in. Ethan didn't care about his father's job, he just wished he'd had more time to play with him.

"Hi dad" Ethan greeted and hopped into the couch next to him.

"Hey bud" his father said, but then remained quietly tapping into the keyboard.

A heavy silence stretched between them and Ethan started to feel uncomfortable. He tried to eat his cookies as silently as possible, not wanting to disturb his father's work or the silence that hung between them, one that was only broken by the clicking of keys and the low murmur of the television. The sports channel was on, but Ethan didn't like it, he liked playing sports not watching them. He debated a long time with himself what to do. He really, really, didn't want to bother his dad, but this was the only TV in the house and Ethan liked to watch a superhero show that must have started five minutes ago, so, with a thudding heart, he asked his father.

"Dad, can I change the channel?" he spoke lowly but frowned when his dad ignored him. Maybe he hadn't heard? He tried again "Dad?"

"What!?" his father asked in annoyance and Ethan jumped at the sudden loud voice and glare sent his way.

"Emm... Can I... Can I change the channel?" his dad looked at the TV, as if deciding if he had been actually paying attention to the game that had been on.

"Yeah" he finally said, and handed him the remote. Ethan smiled and started surfing through the channel until he found the show he liked. He didn't dare turn up the volume though, even though he could barely hear what was being said. He would have to settle with watching the images, because he didn't want to bother his dad while working. His work was important, he reminded himself.

After fifteen minutes, his dad glanced up from his laptop, apparently catching a break from whatever he had been doing and watched the show with him. It was barely half a minute after, that the harsh comments began.

"You're watching this stupid show again?" his father asked, and Ethan turned to him.

"It's not stupid" he defended in a small voice, to which his father bitterly laughed.

"When will you grow up?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice "You're taking way too long" and then he got up from the couch with his laptop in hand and settled into the kitchen to continue his work there.

Ethan stared after him, not really understanding what his father had said. Is he taking too long to grow up? How fast should he be growing? He was taller than Jimmy, so he must have been at least growing faster than him. What had his dad meant? And his show wasn't stupid! He liked it and the people on the show did important things, they saved the world and all the people in it. That was surely more important that his dad's job.

He turned back to the TV, his heart still hammering in his chest and he could feel his eyes burning just a tiny bit.

His show wasn't stupid. Jimmy and his friends liked it too; they played a lot, pretending to be the characters from the show and chasing each other around on the playground. His show wasn't stupid.

Eventually he got caught up in the images of the TV again and his eyes went back to normal. There was nothing to cry about, so he wouldn't. It wasn't the first time his dad insulted the things he liked and it definitely wasn't the worst shout he'd heard from him so, all in all, today was still a good day and he would see that it remained like that until the end.

Sadly, that meant turning the TV off once the show had ended and going into his room to play alone with his toys. Maybe he would draw something new, he really liked drawing. Just thinking about it made a smile of enthusiasm appear on his face and he collected his school bag and headed towards his room. He would only come out to use the bathroom or when it was time for dinner, that way he would stay out of his father's way and not interrupt him anymore. His work was important after all.

He picked up a book from his desk, one that he'd never read because he didn't like reading, it was boring and made him sleepy, but he did like the pictures inside the book and he liked to spend hours copying the small images and drawing them bigger on a white paper sheet. Then he would color it, although he wasn't that good at coloring, since there were always white spaces he forgot to cover or just couldn't. He always enjoyed drawing more, but he could never leave a picture unfinished, so he colored it either way.

Maybe he'd draw the picture for his dad. He could give it to him as a present to show him how much he loved him and then his dad would be happy and wouldn't raise his voice for the rest of the day. Ethan didn't like it when he did that.

With his mind set and a smile on his face, he began to draw his most beautiful picture yet, being careful and precise, because it was a present for his dad, and he loved his father.

…

 **So, sad much? I know we didn't get to see Mac or the team on this chapter, but it was important to show how Ethan's day had gone after re ran back home.**

 **What do you think of him as an OC character? He's gonna be rather important on this story and, of course, for Mac on later chapters.**


	3. Optimus Drone

**And I'm back with another chapter! I'm glad to see that you have found this interesting enough to give it a chance. I just hope I don't disappoint…**

 **CHAPTER 3: Optimus Drone**

"So, what are the plans for tonight?" Riley asked when she entered the lab where Mac and Bozer were working on some sort of drone. If she knew her friends at all, they were definitely enhancing it or making it into a fully functioning robot, the kind that would make Jack cross his heart for, like a transformer or something. She snickered at the thought, because she wouldn't put it past Mac to try and build one himself.

"Ammm nothing?" Mac answered, glancing up at the arriving young hacker.

"What do you mean nothing? It's friday night and this week's been boring as hell! We gotta do something. You with me Boze?" she said.

"Oh I'm with you. I'm totally yours if you need plans for the night" Bozer replied with a grin, to which Riley frowned.

"I thought we had agreed we'd work on the friendship zone Boze" she admonished, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I know. That's just me being the awesome friend that I am. Also, it's been a boring week down here in the lab too, so I'm in on whatever you wanna do"

"Awesome" Riley finally conceded "Mac? You in?" when the blond didn't answer, Bozer called for him too.

"Yo, Mac!" Mac's eyes snapped up from his work in surprise. Apparently, he had zoned out of the conversation in favor of doing some calculations in his mind concerning the project they were currently working on.

"Huh, sorry, what?" he asked, confused.

"Are you in for a friday night out? Or an in one, I don't really care. As long as we do something..."

"Yeah, sure. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, we could go out to eat. Go to the movies, or do some home theater, order in... You know, the usual" Riley suggested.

"What is this I hear about food and movies and why am I not invited?" came Jack's voice out of nowhere. The trio glanced up to see him approaching the table where a scale model of a Decepticon seemed to be staring up at him, at least, that's what it felt like to Jack, who eyed the thing suspiciously.

"We're planning a night out. But the last one in is the first one paying so, you in?" Riley joked.

"Ha ha, very funny young lady. I say I should get the senior treatment and not pay at all" Jack answered back.

"You just realize you've called yourself old, right?" Bozer asked and Jack sent a glare in his direction. Bozer put his hands up in a surrender gesture "Alright, alright, I was just saying. No need to kill me with your laser stare"

"No need, that's what the Decepticon's here for, right?" Riley snorted, she had been so right.

"Decepticon, Jack?" Mac asked, his eyebrows up.

"Yeah, you know, like Optimus Prime and such"

"Optimus Prime is an Autobot Jack, not a Decepticon" Bozer corrected.

"I know, I know. I was just referring to the movie. So, what are you building here? And do I need to be armed?" Jack retorted.

"You're always armed" Riley pointed.

" _And_ dangerous" he completed with a wiggle of his eyebrows and the group just had to laugh at that "Seriously though, what are you making?"

Instantly, Mac's eyes lit up when he began to explain his project. The way he talked and his enthusiasm reminded Jack of the first year Mac worked with his unit in Afghanistan, when Jack would ask about his little projects and sit right through a lecture on whatever design he'd been inventing at the time, just to see that sparkle of life in him. It never ceased to surprise him and he never got tired of it.

"... That way the drone will be able to recognize any target and lock in on it in half the time" that didn't mean he always payed attention to what was being said. Mac had finished explaining their science experiment and then the conversation turned back to what they would do that night.

"Eating out sounds right. We haven't done that in a while" Jack offered and everyone else agreed.

"I just got the mother of all cravings for a double cheese burger, french fries and a milkshake" Mac blurted out to everyone's surprise.

"Feeling a little hungry there bud?" Jack asked, pleased to see his friend asking for food in such a passionate way. The blond agent blushed though, and ran a hand through the hair at the back of his head.

"I... Errrr... I might have forgotten to eat lunch today" he confessed and, soon enough, the questions began.

"What!?"

"Seriously Mac? Again?"

"Do we need to have that conversation again?"

"Sorry! I just got caught up with the drone and time just flew by. But, now that you've mentioned it, I'm really kind of hungry" Mac tried to defend himself to get out of their friends' disapproval glares.

"Well, at least tonight we can put some meat into your bones then" Jack said.

"Everyone okay with going to Granny's?" Bozer asked. It was one of the best burger places in town and it was pretty much nearby. They all nodded enthusiastically.

"Great. We've got one more hour to go and then we hurry over, you know how Granny's gets on a weekend night" Riley said and they all agreed to wrap up whatever they had been doing and be ready to leave within the hour.

The place was full by the time they arrived, but they still managed to get a hold of a table and place their order.

True to his statement, Mac asked for a double cheese burger with extra bacon; Riley ordered a sweet onion burger, Bozer got the buffalo wings and Jack took a steaming piece of steak. They ordered a couple of rations of french fries and cold drinks. After that, ice cream and milkshakes for dessert.

"Man... I am stuffed" Mac said with a sigh, leaning back on his chair and patting his stomach. They had just finished eating and were all feeling the same heaviness on their stomachs. Jack had even gone as far as unbuttoning his pants.

"You just gotta love Granny's. They sure know what they're doing" he said. A waiter then came to their table with the check and started cleaning up. He worked hurriedly and with a sheen of sweat over his forehead. The place was still full and there were people now waiting in line for a table to be available.

"I think that's our cue to leave" Riley commented, but neither one of them made a move.

"I don't know how I'm gonna be able to stand up" Bozer said, stretching like a cat on his chair. Jack was now stifling a yawn and Mac kept rubbing at his stomach. After their table was clean, the same waiter started to almost walk in circle around them, waiting like a vulture for them to get their wallets out, pay the food and then get out. With nothing else on the table to work as an excuse to remain there, they had no other choice than to get up, pay, and walk out of there so someone else could take their place. Thankfully, Jack had remembered to button up his pants before standing up.

They parted ways on the parking lot, since everyone had gotten their own ride home. Jack would be dropping Riley off at her apartment and Mac and Bozer would head home together on Mac's jeep.

It wasn't as late as their sluggish minds made them believe by the time they arrived at their house. After such a dinner, their bodies now craved for rest and Mac parked the vehicle with a content smile on his face. Tonight, he would sleep like a child.

Speaking of which, he glanced up to the place where he could barely see the children's park of the neighborhood and the memory of the running boy assaulted him like a slap to the face. It had been two days since his encounter with the boy and he had to admit he hadn't payed much attention to it since he started to work on the Decepticon drone. ' _Argh, really? Now I'm sound like Jack_ ', he thought and shook his head.

Making a hasty and not exactly logical decision, he decided to head over to the park.

"Hey Boze, I'm gonna take a walk for a minute" he let his friend know while the other opened the front door.

"Sure. Everything alright?" Bozer asked.

"Yeah, I think I just need to digest the food a little bit more and a walk seems like a good idea for that" he replied, not necessarily lying but not being entirely truthful either. If he was honest with himself, he wasn't even sure about what he was doing. What did he expect to find? The boy? What would he do then?

Still, his doubts didn't stop his wondering feet to take him to the park where a few kids were playing around.

He studied the few people that still hanged at the park, and there weren't many, since the sun was now almost hidden behind the horizon, although its brightness was enough to lit the area for a while, and couldn't help but smile at the picture of joy and happiness of the kids playing.

One little girl was being chased by his father, who was hellbent on tickling her just to hear her laugh. A pair of kids were competing at the swings trying to see who could reach the highest point while a parent stood watch and made sure they didn't break their necks. A woman was picking up a few toys while wiping dirt from her son's face, a smile and laugh making their way out as the boy talked to her about a new friend he'd made that day at school.

Mac felt a twinge of nostalgia come over him at remembering a time when his own mother would help him brush off the dirt from his clothes after having spent the afternoon playing with the neighbor's dog. Mac had always wanted one, and their neighbor was kind enough to let Mac in and play with good ole' Bessy at least once a week. Talking excitedly to his mother, telling her about all the tricks he'd been able to teach Bessy while she listened intently to every detail was one of the most treasured memories he had. But he hadn't been able to play with Bessy that much, since she had fallen ill and died, now making him think that maybe that had been some kind of warning or omen about what his mother would have to go through barely a year after that.

But Mac quickly pushed aside the bitter thoughts and decided to keep thinking about the fond memory the young boy and his mother had sparked.

Suddenly, sitting on another swing but only minimally balancing back and forth on it, was the running kid from two nights ago. Mac was startled to actually find him in the park and before he knew what he was doing, he started to walk towards him, taking a seat on the swing next to his and grabbing the chains on either side of him.

"Hey" Mac greeted softly "You know, it's not very polite to kick someone in the nuts" he said and when the boy looked up at him, he saw his eyes widen.

 _'Oh great'_ Ethan thought _'he found me'_

 **…**

 **Poxelda: I took the liberty of using your own expression for the last line of Mac in this chapter. The thing about the 'nuts' in your review was just hilarious. I hope you don't mind!**

 **I had fun writing the team interactions on this chapter. Did you like it? I'm not sure I got the characters right tough…**

 **I'm looking forward to the next chapter where Mac and Ethan get to talk. What will Mac say? How much will Ethan reveal? Stay tuned to find out!**

 **By the way: I just recently watched the latest Transformers movie and the subject's just been present in my mind, hence the jokes about the drone being a Decepticon lol**


End file.
